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Churchill
Prototype base * Armor base (Nuclear mode) |armor = 75mm |resistance = 400 |speed = 24 }} The A22 Churchill heavy tank was produced just prior to the end of the war to replace the badly-outdated Matilda. Well known for its almost unpierceable armor, the Churchill only carried an average 75mm gun which was rather light to engage its opposite numbers. As a result, it is best used as support for more powerful units or for the infantry. Its sturdiness permits the Churchill to take many hits before being damaged, which allows more fragile units to take cover or hold out until support comes to their rescue. History With German invasion looking imminent and the United Kingdom having lost most of its military vehicles in the evacuation from France, the War Office specified that the A22 had to enter production within the year. By July 1940 the design was complete and by December of that year the first prototypes were completed; in June 1941, almost exactly a year as specified, the first Churchill tanks began rolling off the production line. A leaflet from the manufacturer was added to the User Handbook which stated that it had great confidence in the fundamental design of the tank but that the model had been put into production without time for proper honing and that improvements would be made in time. The document then covered for each area of the tank affected, the fault, precautions to avoid the fault and what was being done to correct the problem. This hasty development had not come without cost though, as there had been little in the way of testing and the Churchill was plagued with mechanical faults. Most apparent was that the Churchill's engine was underpowered and unreliable, and difficult to access for servicing. Another serious shortcoming was the tank's weak armament, the 2 pounder (40 mm) gun, which was improved by the addition of a 3 inch howitzer in the hull (the Mk IICS had the howitzer in the turret) to deliver an HE shell albeit not on a howitzers usual high trajectory. These flaws contributed to the tank's poor performance in its first use in combat, the disastrous Dieppe Raid led by Canada in August, 1942. The tanks just got stuck on the beach full of gravel. Recovering rapidly from this performance (which was as much to do with the operation as the tanks) the Churchill went on to be arguably the best British tank of the war. Later armed with the 6-pdr and OQF 75mm like Cruiser tanks, it was extremely mobile and virtually indestructible. At Steamroller Farm, the German commander ascribed his defeat to 'The Mad Tank Battalion' that had scaled 'Impossible Heights'. The FlaK 36 88mm had no effect on its armour that was up to 152mm thick in places, and even the PaK 40 and KwK 42 had problems penetrating its armour. Its comfortable internal space meant it was easily modified for use in a variety of specialty roles, such as the AVRE or Crocodile flame-thrower. A 17-pdr armed version was in development at the end of the war, but was unfinished. Notes *The Churchill A22 makes an excellent meat shield for tank destroyers. *The in-game description is incorrect, the Churchill entered production in 1941, not at just prior to the end of the war. *Even though the Churchill can do well against most tanks, it cannot fend off a Tiger or anything stronger than that, and it is roughly equal against the Panther, as though the Churchill does more damage against the Panther than the Panther to the Churchill, the Panther has 50m more range. Pros & Cons +Class 5 armor. -This should really just be a research from the Matilda so there was room for other units here. * A39 Tortoise would be an amazing SPG rivaling the T95 but with MGs. * Universal gun carrier, perhaps the "wasp" variants to give the UK a flamethrower tank. * one of the many diffrent armed trucks and jeeps the UK SAS used in the desert for recon and raiding. * A43 "Black prince" To allow the UK to have the feeling of a powerful ground unit... ish... Weapons Gallery Churchill 700.jpg|In-game information See also * Category:Advanced heavy tanks